‘Philosopher imperfectly disguised as newspaper artist, he proved that, in his words, “A cartoon can be as influential as a poem, a speech, a piece of music.”’ (Karsh)

David Low was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, and died in London. He joined the staff of the Sydney Bulletin where his work covered all aspects of Australian life. He made cartoons of prime minister Billy Hughes and, after moving to London in 1919, his cartoons appeared in the Daily News (1920), Daily Express (1926) and Evening Standard (1926–1950). To gain greater freedom from editorial control, he moved to the Daily Herald and the Guardian (1953–1963). His work was good humoured and had a deep insight into human psychology complemented with a keen grasp of political reality. He received a knighthood in 1962.